Hi, all! Here's the second act of the finale!

EPISODE 5: FINALE (ACT 2)

Jack, Nick and Judy were in an elevator, heading up to the floor where the Temporal Investigation Department was based.

"So, what were you doing when Lucas clocked your attention?" Jack asked.

"Trying to track a pickpocketing ring," Judy replied. "We've been on the tail of this particular ring for weeks. When we arrested a couple of them, they wouldn't give up their ringleader. So, we came up with a plan to track one of them back to base. He stopped the pickpocket we were tailing. We were hoping to follow him back to his base, catch the ringleader."

"And Lucas stepped in to stop the pickpocket before you could do that," Jack finished the sentence. "Did he break the law by doing so?"

"Well… no," Judy replied. "But…"

"What's the problem, then?" Jack asked. "It seems a bit… excessive to chase a mammal down just because he intervened in an operation that he had no knowledge of."

"Hey, we only chased him because he ran," Judy pointed out. "How were we supposed to know he was trying to avoid us because he's… who he is? Nick, back me up here!"

"Well…" Nick thought. "I can't say I wouldn't have behaved differently if I was worried about altering the future."

Judy huffed, but she couldn't find a rebuttal.

"We were made aware of his arrival not long after we got somebody using time travel to defraud the lottery," Jack explained.

"Oh, yeah, I remember that weasel winning the lottery week after week," Nick replied. "Hustling's one way to use it, I guess."

"Doesn't explain how he got here, though," Judy pointed out.

"Our perp dropped his time device and we couldn't find it," Jack admitted.

"Wait… 'dropped his time device'?" Judy piped up. She turned to Nick. "I thought you said that they were huge machines."

"Yeah, not exactly something you put in a backpack," Nick agreed. "Well… unless that weasel came from further in the future. Miniaturisation of tech happens even in this age. And… who knows what changes we've already made to the future? Maybe time travel is invented sooner now."

"That's the idea we're working with," Jack confirmed. "We've had a few… interesting cases, to say the least."

"So, Lucas happened to find it in the future, when you guys couldn't," Nick said, raising an eyebrow. "What did he do, step on it?"

"Ah…" was all Jack could say.

"He did?" Nick had to stop himself from laughing.

"The device is now safe in our paws," Jack countered. "No more stepping on it."

"So, if the device is safe…" Nick began, "how's he going to get home? Forgive me from pointing the obvious out, but if he can't step on it in the future, if you sent him back, wouldn't there just be two of him in the future?"

"We have a theory on that," Jack said.

"It doesn't involve putting the device back where you found it and hoping for the best, does it?" Nick asked.

"Not… exactly," Jack shook his head. "Trust me, I'm still trying to understand what Koyoton has proposed."

The elevator pinged to indicate it had arrived on their floor, and the doors opened. The three stepped out and walked down the corridor.

"Welcome to the Temporal Investigation Department," Jack said, "This way."

In silence, he led Nick and Judy down through the department, arriving at an office with the name 'Professor Marina Koyoton' engraved on a plaque on the door. Jack raised a paw and knocked.

"Come in," a voice said. Jack opened the door and stepped inside. Koyoton was sat behind her desk. And sat in one of the chairs was Lucas.

"Ah, Jack, great timing!" Koyoton beamed. "I've just been telling Lucas that I'm really close to formulating… ah, you have… guests…" Koyoton trailed off when she noticed Nick and Judy. Lucas, having picked up on Koyoton's tone, looked from her to the door. His ears drooped and his eyes betrayed his shock.

"Hopps, Wilde, this is Professor Marina Koyoton," Jack introduced the coyote to Nick and Judy. "We saved her life not long after this department was established, and she's been a great help to us in figuring these things out."

Nick and Judy were not paying attention at that point. They were fixated solely on Lucas.

"I, ah… don't think I need to introduce you," Jack said.

"What are you doing?!" Lucas hissed at Jack. "You know I can't interfere with them!"

"I think we're past that point," Nick said.

Judy, meanwhile, suddenly felt a strange uncertainty that she did not understand.

"Is that why you ran?" she asked. "Because you didn't want to change our futures?"

Lucas clenched his jaw, apparently unwilling to answer.

"Lucas, go take a walk," Jack suggested, not taking his eyes off Judy and Nick.

"You can't be serious," Lucas replied in surprise.

"What's done is done," Jack pointed out. "There's no point in hiding here now. Besides, we don't currently have any cases we're investigating. Go take a walk. Koyoton will let you know when she's ready to send you home."

"And what, exactly, am I supposed to do?" Lucas demanded. "Go for a coffee? That didn't go so well last time. I'm lucky I inherited Mom's fast feet and Dad's sneak step. I never thought I'd have to use them outside my own job, let alone my own time, never mind to get away from my own parents!"

"What are you in the future?" Nick asked. He looked Lucas up and down. "The black suit's a bit of a cliché, sure, but it does scream 'detective' to me. Did you follow us down the cop road?"

"Nick, you should see the things you wear," Judy pointed out, allowing a small smirk onto her face. "'Loud' doesn't begin to describe it. I'm surprised we're not made more often."

"Ouch," Nick clutched at his chest. "Hey, Savage, are shots allowed to be fired in this building?"

Lucas watched with a slightly curious expression on his face. Nick noticed and stepped forward.

"Did we say something weird?" he asked. "I guess we're not much like the mammals that raised you. Not yet anyway."

"No, it's…" Lucas shook his head. "It's just… weird. You guys are still like that, even now… erm, later."

Nick and Judy looked at each other, a slight look of embarrassment on their faces.

"Lucas, why don't you go with them and help them with their investigation?" Jack suggested, drawing surprised glances from Nick, Judy and Lucas. "Like I said: we don't exactly have anything else to investigate right now."

Lucas shook his head.

"Wilde's not wrong about it: it's too late to worry about changing their futures now," Koyoton pointed out. "As long as we get you back to your branch, that's all that matters."

Sighing in defeat, Lucas threw his paws up in the air.

"Okay, fine," he said.

"How are we doing out there?" Nick's voice came through the earpiece he had given Lucas.

"Just peachy, pops," Lucas replied.

Since their plan at Snarlbucks in Savanna Central had failed, Nick and Judy had come up with an alternative plan. They were aware that the pickpocketing ring was also operating in Sahara Square, and so had decided to try from there.

Lucas' role was to act as an enticing piece of bait. Jack had given him a burn phone with tracking software installed. The plan was to position Lucas in a way to entice another pickpocket to try and take the phone. If they did, then Nick and Judy could follow that phone – hopefully, to the pickpocket ring's leader. They had no idea who was behind it up to that point.

"Sorry, sport, but what you're wearing screams cop," Nick pointed out. "Besides, you won't want that trench coat in Sahara Square."

As such, Lucas had changed out of his usual clothing. Nick had given him a shirt from his own wardrobe, one of his more subdued pieces since it was light purple without any print on it. His hat had not been returned to him, since it was still at the ZPD.

"Heads up, to your six o'clock," Judy spoke into the walkie-talkie. "Coyote. Sneaking towards you now. Don't look."

'Yeah, I've done stings before,' Lucas replied in thought. He remained still, relaxed, staring out into the distance as if looking for something.

A paw reached into his pocket, and Lucas had to resist the urge to grab at it and haul its owner in front of him.

"And… he's gone," Nick said. Lucas searched his pocket for the phone. It was missing, as expected.

"Okay, tracking is live," Judy said. "Lucas, come back to us, we'll follow him to base."

The tracker led the three from Sahara Square back into Savanna Central, through to the abandoned warehouse district.

"Huh…" Lucas remarked upon their arrival there.

"What?" Judy asked.

"Well… I don't know how much I should say," Lucas replied, "but… I've never seen this part of the city like this before. A few years from now, somebody buys up this land and redevelops it."

"More faceless apartment blocks, no doubt," Nick scoffed.

"Actually, they build an entertainment venue," Lucas corrected Nick. "They bought the Animalia Stadium and then decommissioned it. It's a shopping precinct in my time, with a hotel built into its heart."

"Our coyote's in there," Judy indicated to a dilapidated building, a warehouse with a rounded roof.

"I know you like to go in, guns blazing," Nick said, "but we're probably outnumbered, and goodness knows if those mammals are harmless like the ones we've been watching. We can't just go in and arrest them all. We need a plan."

"Sneak play," Lucas suggested. Nick and Judy looked at him, surprised at his suggestion. "Come on, you know about 'sneak play'. You told me… erm, will tell me you used to do that all the time."

"I guess… it's not a tactic we use often," Judy admitted.

"Like I said, you like to go in all guns blazing," Nick said, earning him a light dig in the ribs from Judy.

"Yeah, I definitely wouldn't advise that on this occasion," Lucas said.

"Well, sneak play might work now," Nick said. Judy whipped her head towards him. "Think about it, Carrots. Most mammals know you for charging in, but how did we solve the Missing Mammals case? Sneak play."

"It only worked because I thought to howl to distract the timber wolves," Judy pointed out. "Otherwise, you'd have gotten yourself caught."

"You're not wrong, Carrots, but right now, it doesn't matter," Nick replied. "It still worked."

Judy thought about it for a moment.

"Okay, we'll give it a shot," she said finally. "Scope the building out, and then find a way in without making any noise."

The three snuck along the side of the building, looking for a convenient entrance inside.

Luckily for them, a door on the far side of the building stood ajar. Nick waved a signal to both Judy and Lucas, indicating for them to follow him inside. He cracked the door open slightly wider so he could slip in. Judy and Lucas followed him. Inside the warehouse was a stack of crates tall enough to crouch behind. A staircase led up to the next level, where there were several offices. The banisters were covered in metal sheeting, obscuring the view from below.

On the other side of the boxes were the coyote who had picked Lucas' pocket, a raccoon dog, and an African wild dog.

"What are we even supposed to do with all this stuff?" the coyote asked.

"We're gonna sell it," the wild dog replied. He sounded older. Perhaps he was higher up in this organization. "John's gonna organise a round of fencing. We're all gonna make money off this. I mean, look at all this loot! And then, when we get our money, we're all gonna go our separate ways… for a while, until John decides he wants to go again. Anyways, enough talk! Get this stuff into boxes ready for moving!"

The three canids separated, going deeper into the warehouse.

"So, this 'John' must be the ringleader," Lucas whispered. "Where do we find him?"

"Mammals like him probably like looking down on all the stuff they stole," Nick replied. "I'd look upstairs. He's gonna be in one of those offices."

"What are we looking for, though?" Judy wondered. "Even if he's the ringleader, we don't know what species he is. We could find half a dozen mammals up there."

"She's right," Lucas replied. "We need something to draw the mammal out. Have you got your phone?" He asked Judy.

"Yeah, why?" Judy replied.

"Can I borrow it?"

"Uh, sure… but, again: why?"

"Because I need to make a call and I don't have my phone on me."

Judy frowned, but Nick's eyebrows raised as Lucas' idea dawned on him.

"Ah, pretty clever!" he said. "That's how you're going to draw him out!"

Judy handed Lucas her phone, and Lucas dialled the number of the decoy. After a few moments, the sound of 'She-Wolf' started blaring from somewhere in the warehouse.

"That was the ringtone you chose?" Nick tried stifling a laugh.

"I think Savage did," Lucas shrugged. "Gazelle's not really my thing. More of a The Hoof guy."

"Somebody shut that thing up!" a voice came from above. The trio looked up. There was a fox in a suit glaring over the rails.

"I thought I told you to switch all phones off when you brought them in!" the fox yelled.

"I did, Mr. Wilde!" the coyote who had pickpocketed Lucas replied.

"'Mr. Wilde'?" Judy frowned. She turned to Nick. "Related?"

"Maybe," Nick shrugged. "I remember Dad mentioning a John Wilde who went away for running a smuggling ring."

"So… he'd be great-great-great gramps, then?" Lucas said.

"He'd be arrested, that's what," Nick replied. "Let's get up there and get him."

As he said that, the sound of 'She-Wolf' died.

"Quick, before anybody else notices," Judy said, dashing for the stairs.

"Is she this impulsive in the future?" Nick asked.

"No comment," Lucas replied, following Judy.

"Rabbits…" Nick sighed, going after Lucas and Judy. Once they were upstairs, they found the office John Wilde was in. He was busy looking over some paperwork and so didn't notice the three figures outside peering in.

"How do you want to take this?" Lucas asked.

"I hate to say it, but I think Carrots' usual approach might be best," Nick answered.

"All guns blazing? Really?" Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have any better ideas," Nick shrugged. "We're revealing ourselves either way."

"What if he has an escape route?" Judy asked. "An operation like this, there's no way he's going to have penned himself in there, especially if he's planned for a police raid."

Nick thought about it for a moment.

"Okay, tell you what. Lucas, why don't you go back outside and scope along this side of the building. If there's an escape hatch, it'll lead out onto there. And keep the phone, use it to contact Bogo for reinforcements. Me and Carrots will go in."

Lucas nodded and crept away, back down the staircase and out the door.

After a moment, Nick and Judy nodded to each other. Judy drew her tranq pistol, and Nick reached for the door handle, opening it.

"What now…?" John's ears twitched at the sound of the creaking door. He got up out of his chair and started forward. When he was close enough, Judy leaped through the door, smacking John in the stomach.

"Oof!" he flew backwards, into his desk.

"Nice," Nick stepped inside, carefully closing the door behind him.

The fox named John Wilde was smartly-dressed in a black suit and blue tie. His fur was well-kept. He hardly looked like he would be the mastermind of a criminal pickpocketing ring.

"John Wilde, you are under arrest," Judy knelt on the fox's chest.

"What…?" John said. "What am I being arrested for?"

"Criminal organization and theft," Judy replied. "We know everything in here is stolen, and we know the mammals you've hired were pickpocketing, we've been gathering evidence for months."

John let out a dark chuckle.

"Congratulations, Officer," he said.

"You have the right to remain silent," Judy began. "Anything you say can and will be used against-"

Judy didn't finish her sentence. In one swift move, John grabbed hold of Judy's arm and threw her off him, right into Nick. With speed that neither had anticipated, he launched himself towards a button which opened a trapdoor and sounded an alarm within the warehouse.

"See you around, officers!" he said, diving down into the tunnel revealed by the trapdoor.

"Carrots… you okay?" Nick asked.

"Ugh…" Judy replied, getting up off of Nick. "Yeah…"

Nick glanced out of the window. What he saw did not bring him much confidence. The smaller canids had fled towards the exists, but the larger ones were charging towards the stairs that led up to the office.

"Well, there really only one way to get out of here now," Nick said, looking back towards the open trapdoor.

John opened a door that led to the outside. Straightening his suit and tie, he made for a car that was parked on the grass.

"Yeah, we thought you'd try that," came a voice that caused John to stop in his tracks. Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with a tall rabbit in a purple shirt.

"I think you'll want these back before you drive off," he tossed something at John's feet. John looked down, and saw four plastic caps that looked suspiciously like those found on tyres. He looked to his car – the tyres were completely flat.

"You're not going anywhere, and I'd think twice about trying to fight your way out too," the rabbit advised.

A second later, the door John had escaped through burst open and Nick and Judy tumbled out.

"Ah, you left him for us, Lucas," Nick snarked.

"By the way, I don't think I need to remind you who my rabbit… associate… is," Lucas said. He turned back towards Judy. "Would you like the honours?"

"Gladly," Judy replied, stepping forward. "Now, where were we? Oh, yes: John Wilde, you're under arrest for criminal organization and theft."

The sound of sirens reached their ears.

"And that'd be the ZPD here to mop up the rest of your crew," Nick said.

John had been cuffed and put into the back of a ZPD interceptor. Nick, Judy and Lucas surveyed their handiwork.

"Not bad, kid," Nick said.

"I'm older than you are right now," Lucas pointed out.

"Here, you'll want this back," Judy passed Lucas the phone they had retrieved from the warehouse. "Let Savage know that we got our guy."

"Isn't this evidence?" Lucas frowned. "Thought you'd be taking it to the ZPD for processing."

"I think we've got enough paperwork to be dealing with, without having to explain why we let our time-travelling son join us on a sting operation," Nick replied. "I do not look forward to writing out our reports."

"Some things never change," Lucas grinned. "You don't like paperwork in my time either."

Before Lucas could dial, the phone started ringing.

"Huh…" Lucas cocked his head curiously. "This isn't you, is it?"

"Nope," Nick held his paws out.

"Wilde," Lucas answered.

"Hey, Lucas," came Koyoton's voice. "Guess what? I figured it all out! I'm ready to get you home!"

And that's a wrap for this act! The next chapter will be the final act of this episode! Stay tuned, I hope to have it up before New Year!